Separating cult from culture: when corporate culture goes too far

Baker Stuart’s Insight: Are you working in a corporate cult? Business writer Daniel Howden weighs up the research to draw the line between corporate cult and corporate culture.

You know what to expect from a headline like this. You’ll be introduced to some brainwashed characters displaying cultish behavior. After a breathless description of groupthink, sleepless vigils and bizarre rituals, the writer will lift the veil to reveal that this is not the Branch Davidians or the Moonies, it’s a Silicon Valley unicorn. Take a breath. If you’re reading this at work, look around you. Consider how many of the following assertions apply, at least in part, to your company?

• All-knowing leadership
• No room for differences
• A new and better way
• Works prove beliefs
Probably at least two. And no, this doesn’t mean you work for a cult. This checklist comes from Christianity Today , and is designed to help churchgoers work out whether their faith is being exploited to lure them into a cult. Apparently this is a serious concern. Beware the refrigerator Alarmists like […]